1. Negation and asymmetry: What is left of negative utilitarism
- Author
-
Predrag Krstić
- Subjects
Negation ,media_common.quotation_subject ,General Medicine ,16. Peace & justice ,Asymmetry ,media_common ,Cognitive psychology ,Mathematics - Abstract
The beginning of the paper is dedicated to Popper?s general understanding of the scientific method, in which the moment of refutation stands out. The second part of the paper presents the application of that model to the field of ethics and ?public policy,? in the form of a suggestion to be called later ?negative utilitarianism.?. Then, attention is focused on the objections addressed to negative utilitarianism, primarily when it comes to the ?repugnantconclusion? that brings it closer to promortalism and anti-natalism. In the final part, the author strives to defend what remains of the intuition that motivates negative utilitarianism by its reduction to a principle, and not to a complete theory or a comprehensive conception.
- Published
- 2020
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